Self-threading shuttle



Sept. 4, 1923. 1,466,849 J. NORTHROP S ELF THHEADING SHUTTLE Filed Aug.11, 1919 Patented Sept. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS NORTHROP, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 HOPEDA LE MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, OF MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAS-SACHUSET'I'Sv snrrrnnnanmc sHU'T'rLE.

Application filed August 11, 1919. Serial No. 316,547.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONAS Nonrnnor, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hopedale, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSelf- Threading Shuttles; and I do hereb declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of-the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to an improvement in self-threading shuttles forweft replenishing looms and more particularly to an improvement inthread blocks for such shuttles. 0

Self-threading shuttles as now constructed are usually provided with alongitudinal thread passage and with guiding means including a shieldand beak by which the thread is guided during the threading operationinto the delivery eye of the shuttle. In such seIf-threadin shuttles itis highly desirable that the threading operation be completed as soonafter replenishment as possible and in most of the self-threadingshuttles now in use, the threading operation is usually completed duringthe first two picks of the shuttle after replenishment. In someinstances, however, the irregularities in the course of the thread as itunwindsfrom the bobbin and passes over the top of the thread blockduring the first pick of the shuttle after replenishment prevent thethread from successfully passing under the shield and over the beak, theresult being that the shuttle wilf not be threaded until the third andfourth picks thereof, instead of upon the first and second.

The object of the present invention is to provide a thread blockforrself threading shuttles in which the course of the thread is sodirected during the firstt'portion of the threading operation as toinsure passage of the thread under the shield and over the beak duringthe first pick of the shuttle after replenishment.

To this end a thread block is provided with a thread positioning deviceintermediate the guiding means and the bobbin which is arranged toengage tbcthread and control its course of movement from the b'qbbin tothe guiding means so that it will pass through said guiding means duringthe first pick of the shuttle after replenishment.

With the above object in view, the invention consists inthe thread blockhereinafter described in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating the invention as embodied in a shuttleadapted for use in a right hand loom and with a right hand wind ofbobbin, Figure 1 is a perspective of a portion of a shuttle showing theimproved thread block; Fig. 2 a plan view; and Figs. 3 and 4 sections onlines 3-3 and 44 respectively of Fig. 2.

The self-threading shuttle illustrated in the drawings is described asfollows: The shuttle body 10 is provided with tlie usual opening 11 forthe reception of the bobbin or filling carrier 12. The shuttle body 10is provided with a delivery eye 13 located in the front wall thereof,and the filling or thread is led from the bobbin 12 into and through thedelivery eye 13 by the improved thread block, indicated generally by thereference character 14. The thread block 14 is received in a recessformed in the delivery end of the shuttle and is held therein by athreaded bolt 15 and nut 16. The thread block 14 is provided with theusual longitudinal thread passage 17 and with a shield 18, which overlas a beak 19. A felt pad 20 is located at t 1e inner end of the bottom ofthe longitudinal thread passage and serves to maintain an even tensionon the thread. 'The construction and function of the parts thus fardescribed are well known and form alone no part of the invention.

.The thread block 14 is provided at the inner end with a threadpositionin device 25 which is described as follows: he rear wall 27'ofthe longitudinal thread passage 17 is provided with aguide plate 26which is curved downwardly and inwardly to near the inner end of thefront wall 28 of the thread passage, and terminates in a down- Wardlyand inwardly extended hook 30. A,

. causes the same hook 30 at 9,

also forms an 'inlet 36 with the face of the front wall 28 of the threadpassage 17 permitting the thread to pass around and below the hook 35.The upper surface of the hook 35 is substantially horizontal and forms abearing surface upon which the thread may run durin the initial portionof the thread ing operation, and the point of the hook 35 is extendedforwardly.

The inner end of the top surface of the plate 26, in addition to beingcurved. downwardlyand forwardly toward the hook 30, also extends in agradual outward curve from the top of the rear wall of the shuttle bod10 toward the tip of the book 30 thereby filming the flaring mouth 38which tends to direct the filling inlet opening 29 and book 30.

In operation, when a fresh bobbin is 1n sorted in the shuttle afterreplenishment the thread extends from the bobbin diagonally across thethread block as indicated in Fig. 2, bein fastened at'its free end tothe hopper stu of.the loom. After the lay starts on its backward beatthe rearward movement-of theshuttle with the lay causes the thread to bemoved diagonally toward the flaring mouth 38 so that as the laycontinues to beat back, the thread is moved into and through the aroundand under the directly into the mouth 38 and the natural unwinding ofthe thread from the bobbin to enter and pass through the narrow inlet 29around and under the end of the book 30 where it rests u on the uppersurface of the lower hook 35. y this time the shuttle has started on itsfirst pick and the thread being confined by the-upper point below thetop of the inner end of the thread block, its course of movement towardthe shield and beak is so controlled that it readily passes under theshield an over the beak beforethe shuttle has oomleted its travel to theother side of the loom. Elpon the return pick of the shuttle, the threadis conducted in the usual way to the delivery eye and passes through thesecond inlet into the space below the second hook 35 in which positionit continues during the nor al operation of the loom.

e important features of the invention resides in the utilization of therelative movement ofthe thread across the shuttle when the lay startsbeat backward a'fter replenishment in order to assist in the threadingoperation of the shuttle and also in the provision of means fondirecting and controlling the course of the thread from the bobbin tothe shield and beak during the initial portion of the threadingoperation so that the passage of the thread under the shield and overthe beak is insured during the first pick of the shuttle afterreplenishment Having thus de cribed the preferred embodiment of theinvention it will be understood that the same may be embodied in otherforms within the scope oi the following claims:

1. A thread block for self-threadin shuttles having, in combination, alongitudinal thread passage. means for guiding the thread to thedelivery rye of the shuttle, and a thread positioning device extendedtransversely of the mouth of the thread passage adapted to engage thethread upon the first rearward beat of the lay after replenishment andbefore the shuttle has started acrossthe lay, and to control itscourseof movement from the bobbin to the guiding means so as to insurepassage of the thread between said guiding means on the first pick ofthe shuttle after replenishinent.

2. A threadblock for self-threading shuttles having, in combination, -alongitudinal thread passage, means for guidin the thread to the deliveryeye of the shuttle, and a thread positioning device at the inner end ofthe thread block in such position with relation to the new fillingthread as to engage it as the lay beats rearwardly and before it hasreached a position to pass between said guiding means, and to thereaftercontrol the course of its movements to insure the passage of the threadbetween said guiding means on the first pick of the shuttle afterreplenishment, said thread positioning device comprising a plateextended inwardly and downwardly from one Wall of the thread passagetransversely thereof to within a short distance of the innor end of theother wall of the thread passage and having its free end formed into adepending book.

3. A thread block for self-threadin shuttles having, in combination, alongitu-' dinal thread passage, means for guiding the thread to thedelivery eye of the shuttle, means for maintaining the thread within thethread passage during normal operation of the shuttle, and a positioningdevice extended transversely -of the inner end of the thread passage andadapted to engage the new filling thread upon the first Is'tlI'Wfl-ldbeat of the lay after replenishment in a manner to insure engagement ofthe thread by the said guiding means upon the first pick of the shuttle.

4. A thread block for self-threadin shuttles having, in combination al0ngitud1- nal thread passage, means for guiding the thread to thedelivery eye of the shuttle, a hook extended transversely of the innerend of the thread passage to retain the thread within the passage, and apositioning device consisting of a hook extended across the top of themouth of the thread pa$age and having a substantially horizontal uppersurface, said positioning device being adapted to engage the thread uponthe first rearward beat of the lay after replenishment to insureengagement of the thread by the iding means upon the first pick of the suttle.

5. A thread block for self-threading shuttles having, inteombination, alongitudinal thread passage, means for guiding the thread to thedelivery eye of the shuttle, and a thread positioning device extendedacross the inner end of the thread passage and provided with asubstantially horizontal upper surface, said positionlng' deviee beingadapted to engage the new filling thread upon the first rearward beat ofthe lay after replenishment and to thereafter hold the thread to insurepassage of the thread through the guiding means upon the first pick ofthe shuttle.

6. A thread block for self-thremling shuttles having. in combination alongim dine] thread passage, means for guiding the thread tn thedelivery eye of llushuttle, and a thread positioning llevh'e extendedfrom thereinwall of the thread pa sage across the inner end of thethreml passage to the front wall thereof, said positioning device beingadapted to engage the new fill" iug thread upon the first rem-11rd heatof the lay after replenishment and to thoroilFtt'l hold the thread toinsure passage of the thread through the guiding means upon the firstpick of the shuttle.

JONAS NURTHRUP.

